The document analyzes predictions from a game about future innovations in 25 zones. For the zone of economies of time, players suggested currency systems that allow payment with time through volunteer work. They also suggested time-saving devices, time banks where people contribute labor for services, and skills exchange systems. Current signals mentioned were Ukraine's Bank Vremeni time-banking network and Recipco, which allows international trade without money exchange through capacity sharing.

1. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
© 2013 Institute for the Future. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
March 2013
Foresight Engine Game Analysis:
25 Zones of
Future Innovation
© 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
A project by Institute for the Future and The Rockefeller Foundation
www.iftf.org/our-work/global-landscape/catalysts-for-change/catalysts-zones-of-innovation
Contact: Tessa Finlev, tfinlev@iftf.org

2. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
13 | Economies of Time
2

3. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
As instability continues to plague the world
economy, both corporate structures and
traditional salaried jobs will be impacted.
Individuals, communities, and nations alike will
be forced to reevaluate the accepted
definitions of productivity and value. For those
without salaried jobs, time tracking, time
management, and the concept of “time is
money” will take on new urgency. As newly
integrated workers turn to contract and micro-
work for their living, timesaving devices will be
pervasive. Outside the currency-based world,
communities will formalize long-practiced
activities of sharing resources and time by
developing time-banking systems in order to
highlight the value of truly shared economies.
This value shift will be reflected in the
corporations and employers that remain—with
sustainable growth and community outreach
rewarded. 3
13 | Economies of Time | Future Innovation
© 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B

4. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
The desire to revalue prosperity was very apparent throughout Catalysts for
Change game play.
Players suggested an abundance of ways in which we can revalue prosperity and
resilience by moving away from access to money and toward access to time and
human capital. Ideas included time-saving devices, time equity banks, new
currency systems based on exchange of services, and skills-bartering systems.
4
13 | Economies of Time | From the Players
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Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax payments
- do volunteer work 2 pay of
your tax*
Australia**
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
*Cards have been lightly edited for readability.
**Player location was self selected.

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Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts. Grain
processing = many hours of
women's time.
USA
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia

7. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 7
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
Nigeria
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA

8. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 8
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
USA
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria

9. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 9
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
Ghana
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor can
train the child of a carpenter
and vice-versa
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA

10. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 10
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
Nigeria
Back to the future: can we
bring the gift economy, on it's
own terms, up to the level to
which we've driven the
exchange economy so far?
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor
can train the child of a
carpenter and vice-versa
Ghana

11. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 11
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
USA
Develop “Time Equity" banks
where citizens invest time
(labor) on local infrastructure
projects in exchange for
community services.
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor
can train the child of a
carpenter and vice-versa
Ghana
Back to the future: can we
bring the gift economy, on it's
own terms, up to the level to
which we've driven the
exchange economy so far?
Nigeria

12. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 12
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
South Africa
Ties into thinking about debt-
free money systems (store of
value and medium of
exchange only) so perhaps the
core idea is fighting usury
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor
can train the child of a
carpenter and vice-versa
Ghana
Develop “Time Equity" banks
where citizens invest time
(labor) on local infrastructure
projects in exchange for
community services.
USA
Back to the future: can we
bring the gift economy, on it's
own terms, up to the level to
which we've driven the
exchange economy so far?
Nigeria

13. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 13
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
USA
One more thought... this could
be like a Kiva model, but
instead of donating just $, folks
can add their human capital to
the mix
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor
can train the child of a
carpenter and vice-versa
Ghana
Develop “Time Equity" banks
where citizens invest time
(labor) on local infrastructure
projects in exchange for
community services.
USA
Back to the future: can we
bring the gift economy, on it's
own terms, up to the level to
which we've driven the
exchange economy so far?
Nigeria
Ties into thinking about debt-
free money systems (store of
value and medium of
exchange only) so perhaps
the core idea is fighting usury
South Africa

14. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 14
13 | Economies of Time | Micro-forecasts from the Game
Currency systems to allow
people to pay with their time:
start with income tax
payments - do volunteer work
2 pay of your tax*
Australia
Access to time-saving devices
for daily use that are built out
of locally avaliable parts.
Grain processing = many
hours of women's time.
USA
Companies contributing
4hours of each employees
time to enable young students
connect the dots between
knowledge and skills for work
Nigeria
Community farms with time-
tithe contributions. Each
member donates every 10th
day to work the farm. Spends
free time on a
trade/innovation.
USA
Create a skills exchange
barter system so that people
can trade skills. So a tailor
can train the child of a
carpenter and vice-versa
Ghana
Develop “Time Equity" banks
where citizens invest time
(labor) on local infrastructure
projects in exchange for
community services.
USA
Back to the future: can we
bring the gift economy, on it's
own terms, up to the level to
which we've driven the
exchange economy so far?
Nigeria
Ties into thinking about debt-
free money systems (store of
value and medium of
exchange only) so perhaps
the core idea is fighting usury
South Africa
One more thought... this could
be like a Kiva model, but
instead of donating just $,
folks can add their human
capital to the mix
USA

15. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
Signals from the Present
15
13 | Economies of Time

16. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B 16
Recipco is a “capacity
exchange” organization that
allows international trade to
happen without the exchange
of money.
Bank Vremeni
Spurred by the financial crisis of 2008, Bank
Vremeni of Ukraine is a time-banking
regional exchange system with nearly 50
branches throughout the country.
13 | Economies of Time | Signals from the Present
Recipco
Image Source: www.bankvremeni.org
Image Source: www.recipco.com/application.asp?x=1&section=j&sub_section=a

17. © 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
© 2013 Institute for the Future. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
March 2013
Foresight Engine Game Analysis:
25 Zones of
Future Innovation
© 2013 Institute for the Future for Rockefeller Foundation. All rights reserved. SR-1563B
A project by Institute for the Future and The Rockefeller Foundation
www.iftf.org/our-work/global-landscape/catalysts-for-change/catalysts-zones-of-innovation
Contact: Tessa Finlev, tfinlev@iftf.org